Tribe asks for help

November 07, 2001|By Peter Comings

VANDERBILT - Talk among village trustees Monday night turned again to the issue of a Bay Mills casino as village President Elizabeth Haus reported she had been contacted by the Indian community, which is seeking more statements of support.

The request was reportedly made in response to 300 letters sent to Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, by area residents who oppose the tribe's efforts to build a gaming facility on almost 22 acres of land on Vanderbilt's northwest side. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, in two consecutive congressional sessions, has introduced legislation which would settle the tribe's claim to 200 acres at Charlotte Beach in exchange for the village acreage.

Representatives from Bay Mills could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

"Last Thursday I received a call from Bay Mills and they asked me to call Sen. Levin," Haus told her board. "I was told Sen. Levin had received some postcards against the casino and it would seem it was an organized effort."

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According to Levin spokesperson Tara Andringa, the senator's office had not seen any mail regarding the casino but noted it may be held up with the rest of the mail being checked for anthrax in Washington.

"Sen. Levin has not taken a stand," said Andringa. "He has been meeting with and listening to the voices on all sides of the issue."

Haus said she was asked by the tribe's lobbyist to get new letters of support.

"I was stunned at the response," said Haus who estimated, without weeding out duplicates, that 800 signatures had been collected from around Otsego County. "We far exceeded the 300 they wanted and they came from all over."

The letters will be carried by hand by Bay Mills officials for delivery to Washington, D.C.

If Congress passes the legislation, title to the Vanderbilt acreage would pass to the federal government where it would be held for the tribe. The Bay Mills Community holds a gaming compact with the state they say would let them start construction on a casino by next spring pending the finalization of revenue sharing agreements with Vanderbilt and Corwith Township. Negotiations have stalled among the tribe, village and Corwith Township as to how 10 percent of gaming revenues would be split between the two local governments.

The village has also received assurances Bay Mills would help fund a $2.5-million water-sewer utility project if their casino could be built within village limits.